Episode 1204 (31 October 1995)
Synopsis Martin gives Pauline the slip, sparking off a Halloween panic. Sam falls foul of Grant, Tiffany loses her job - and Nigel tries his hand at pulling pints. Pauline is still moping around at home. Arthur tries to talk some sense into her, Michelle did phone late last night, but she was in transit so couldn't talk for long. Therefore Pauline practically glues herself to the phone and refuses to leave the house in case Michelle phones again. Robbie is still trying to advertise the puppies, Grant tells him that he is wasting his time because he plans to get rid of them now, and Robbie will have to foot the vet's bill. Robbie says oh no, don't do that, I will find them homes. Grant manoeuvres the situation so that Robbie promises this, and Grant says OK, if you don't, then you pay for their keep, 2 quid per week per puppy. Robbie goes to the café and tells Alan, who says what! she could have 12 of them! Right, I'll go to speak to Grant, he can't force a kid to pay maintenance. Robbie says err are you sure? Grant's a maniac. Alan settles back and says Hmmm true, well I'll phone him then. Bianca walks past as she's serving and says that Well'ard has to face his responsibilities as a father, CSA* and all that. Alan says how do you know they are Well'ard's puppies, it could be any dog. Robbie says yea. (*CSA = child support agency - who chase up maintenance payments for kids) Arthur gets back from a night at the allotments, where they failed to catch the vandals/thieves and Pauline tells him Michelle phoned, and berates him for not having asked, and says that if he wants to know what she said he should have been here. Arthur asks rather awkwardly whether she had any "really important" news, and Pauline rants on about the fact she's gone half way round the world is quite important. Arthur looks disappointed as he will obviously have to try to tell Pauline about the pregnancy. Martin is planning his Halloween outfit and when Pauline miserably visits the café, Alan happens to be there and tells her to tell Martin 6pm. Pauline says what? Alan says that he's going out trick or treating with his kids. Pauline says he can't go because it's too dangerous. Alan says he will be there, so don't worry. Pauline makes a rude comment about him not worrying about kids, but some people think that's a parents' job. Alan says well, not 24 hours a day. Alan looks a bit bemused and ignores her weird comments. Ruth has a large pumpkin which she tells Pauline is for Martin. Pauline says she doesn't think he can go, it's too dangerous. Ruth explains that Alan is going to be watching from a safe distance. Pauline irrationally whines on some more and says she doesn't think so. Ruth says it would be too mean to keep the kid in at Halloween. Pauline ignores her and stomps off. Clare asks about a new video and Nigel has to tell her that he doesn't work there any more, but it doesn't matter. Clare doesn't look too convinced. At the Vic, Grant is furious when told that Sam and Tiffany haven't yet got back from their night out. They stagger in dressed like tarts and Grant is furious. He tells Tiffany she can't work dressed like that and they look like refugees from a cheap clip-joint. Peggy tells Tiff to borrow something to wear from Sam and to both go and get ready because they're late for work. Grant goes to the video shop and is told Nigel doesn't work there any more, so he goes to see him. Nigel says it was the time he had to take off for the solicitor, etc., and everything is going wrong. Grant is sympathetic, and says he will see what he can do. Back at the Vic, Tiffany is working, and she and Sam whisper about what a bad mood Grant is in, and how on earth Sharon could stand it. Tiffany whispers she doesn't know why she stayed as long as she did, he's not even any good in bed. Sam is obviously stunned and they forget to serve the customers for a bit. Grant tells Tiffany to be careful, and she makes some rude comment to him, and Grant says right, that's it, you're officially on a warning (of dismissal). Tiffany shrugs and ignores it. Ricky is there and Sam and Tiffany gossip about what a bad mood Grant is in. Sam tells Ricky about him and Tiff, and says she can't believe it. Ricky laughs loudly and says to Tiffany "you're joking, you and Grant?" Tiffany gets very upset and tells Ricky to piss off very loudly in the middle of the pub. Grant comes over and says what are you doing? He takes her out the back, and Tiffany says hysterically well, it was you they were laughing at too, Grant says WHAT? How did he know? .. You told Sam? Who else have you blabbed to? Tiffany says why not? Grant says she's my kid sister, well that's it you're sacked. Tiffany can't believe it, and storms out and goes to the café to tell Bianca all about it. Bianca is amazed and asks her why on earth she did it with GRANT! Tiffany says (increasingly mischievously) "it seemed like a good idea at the time, but then Sam told Ricky while they were chatting away, like they do, you know, he's always hanging around the Vic talking to her, isn't he? Probably talking about the divorce.....well I suppose that's why he's always talking to her." Bianca swallows it all and becomes intensely jealous of course. Grant phones Nigel, and gives him the job. He calls Maxine to babysit Clare and starts. He's totally hopeless, and Grant says it's OK just put a note in the till that you have overrung by 6,000 pounds. He then pours a pint with more head than actual beer, but eventually gets the hang of it. He's now qualified to work that evening! Sam isn't impressed by the new staff, and even less so when Grant tells her off as there are customers waiting. She says Nigel is useless. Ricky goes into the café and Bianca nags him viciously to go and get the divorce sorted out with Sam, NOW. Ricky is obviously totally surprised, and says err OK and goes over to the Vic. Meanwhile, Sam tells Grant he's disgusting for sleeping with Tiffany. Grant replies that she seems to have conveniently forgotten that they found her shacked up in Spain with a smack head and then in a bar picking up men, including David Wicks, and did he pay her or did she do a freebie for him? Sam runs upstairs crying. Ricky walks in and asks where Sam is, is told "upstairs" so he goes there. They have a pleasant chat, Sam says she's had a bad day, and did he want to talk about anything in particular? He says no. She says that she will always listen if he wants to talk about anything. He says thanks, and goes downstairs. Bianca and Tiffany walk in and bitch a bit about the new staff. Bianca asks if Ricky has got divorced yet, and when he says it will take some time she says to Tiffany, what club shall we go to then? They flounce off, leaving Ricky to pay for the drinks they just ordered. It's 6pm, Pauline is ignoring Martin and he tries to light his pumpkin, to go out with Alan's kids, so Pauline catches him and has a total fit, saying he's been told not to play with matches, and he's now forbidden to go out. She quickly stamps on the burning newspaper taper which Martin dropped on the floor when she hit it out of his hand, and Martin takes this opportunity to sneak out of the back door. Pauline uses this as an excuse to whine on to Mark and Ruth and everyone who will listen that Martin has disappeared and she wants to call the police. Ruth politely tries to calm her down, telling her he was supposed to be out with Alan's kids, and Pauline says she has phoned them and there is no reply. Ruth patiently explains that probably means that they have already left, but Pauline acts even more dense than usual and refuses to believe her. Pauline also whines on about Arthur never being there when she needs him. Alan brings Martin back, having had a great time, wanting to show what he got trick or treating. Pauline goes totally mad and starts to be very rude to Alan, so Ruth and Mark suggest that Alan just leave quickly! Pauline then tells Martin he is a very naughty and disobedient boy. Martin for some reason runs upstairs before she's finished talking to him, which I would have thought would have earned him a lot more black marks, however Pauline's obviously used to being ignored while she prattles on. Mark and Ruth tell her she shouldn't talk to a little boy like that (and Ruth's supposed to be a childminder so it's no wonder they don't get taught any discipline!). Alan, the only normal person in Walford it seems, goes to the Vic and says that Pauline has flipped out totally. Cindy and Gita discuss Guppy - Gita apologises to Cindy about not letting her in last night. Cindy tells Gita to be careful and not have an affair - it's very dangerous. Gita says "you can talk". Cindy says well yes she knows better now. She has to get the fax machine fixed (she petulantly threw it on the floor when David sent her the fax from Italy). Arthur and Willy have a little chat about their families, etc. as they sit in the dark drinking whisky or something at the allotments. Arthur says he will miss Michelle, and asks after Willie's mother who is senile and getting worse. In the Vic, Nigel is serving people. Unfortunately they all buy him a drink, so he has them lined up, and is a bit the worse for wear as he chats to Phil and matches him drink for drink!! He hasn't quite got the hang of being a barman and seems to think he's just a customer. He is telling ancient jokes, when Phil tries to stop him, and eventually points out that Liam is over there. Liam then winds Nigel up, saying that he's not happy about his daughter being brought up by someone who works in a bar, especially since he's even let her sip alcoholic drinks, that will sound really bad in court. Phil tells Liam to leave Nigel alone, and puts his hand on Liam's arm. Liam says don't touch me - that's assault. Grant comes over to sort it out telling Liam that he has say over who drinks here and he's out. Liam goes on taunting, and Nigel loses his temper. Grant tells Liam to leave, but he insists on staying and goads Nigel even further until Nigel hits him. Liam says right, that's it, that's assault, Nigel, as he's bundled out of the door. Credits Main cast *Paul Bradley as Nigel *Francis Magee as Liam *Ross Kemp as Grant *Steve McFadden as Phil *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Patsy Palmer as Bianca *Danniella Westbrook as Sam *Martine McCutheon as Tiffany *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Bill Treacher as Arthur *Michael Tudor Barnes as Willy *Sid Owen as Ricky *Michelle Collins as Cindy *Shobu Kapoor as Gita *Todd Carty as Mark *Caroline Paterson as Ruth *Howard Antony as Alan *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Dilys Laye as Maxine *Gemma Bissix as Clare *Wayne Martinez as Neil *Jon Peyton Price as Martin Category:Episode Category:1995 Episodes